New Delhi – Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Thursday that his country would release a captured Indian fighter pilot on Friday as "a peaceful gesture." This was the main sign that the tension between nuclear-armed Asian neighbors was weakening at the end of a busy week, when both air strikes and the exchange of fire through the contentious border were observed.

When addressing Pakistan's parliament, Khan also said he was ready to hold a telephone conversation with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.

"I want to say this today in India: not to accept this further, Pakistan will have to pay," said Khan. "I hope the international community will play its role in ensuring that the situation does not turn out beyond that."

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not immediately respond to Khan's remarks or commentary on Pakistan. call him on Wednesday.

Indian pilot fighter Abhinandan Vartan stayed on Thursday under the auspices of the Pakistani army. His plane was shot down by Pakistan Air Force during an air combat along the border in the Kashmir area, which is divided by about half. India controls one side, and Pakistan is another, but both countries insist that they have the right to own a complete territory. for the Indian strikes of the previous day, which struck deep inside the Pakistani territory. Both countries denied that harm caused them any harm.

India on Wednesday demanded "safe" and "immediate" release of the pilot and "objected to the vulgar display of Pakistan" of the injured Air Force officer after the video emerged in social networks of beatings by civilians during his capture and later interrogation.

Signs of detente took place a few hours after US President Donald Trump, near the end of his summit in North Korea with Kim Jong Un, said he was expecting "very attractive news" from the region.

Trump said that the United States was "trying to help both of them come out" to "see if we can get any organization and peace."

The prolonged tension between India and Pakistan rose sharply on February 1

4 when more than 40 Indian militarized soldiers were killed during a suicide bombing in a Indian-controlled Kashmir terrorist Pakistani group Jaish-e-Muhammad.

. Fashion in Peshawar, Pakistan, February 28, 2019, When the tension is established between nuclear neighbors.

REUTERS

India accuses Pakistan of supporting the group, or at least allows it to act on its territory and to attack the Indian forces. Pakistan rejects that, insisting on the fight against all terrorist organizations.

Speaking earlier on Thursday, Modi expressed strong words against Pakistan, urging his country to "stand as a wall" against an enemy whom he said "supports terror."